Waedeobe bed



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J TBBL WARDROBE BED.

(No Model.)

No. 468,184. Patented Feb. 2, 1 892.

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Patented Feb. 2, 1892.v

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IOIIN TEFL, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNRAVSON, OF SAME PLACE.

WARDROBE-BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,184, dated February2, 1892.

Application filed September 16, 1891. Serial No. 405,579. (No model.)

To rtl/Z whom it may con/067%:

Be it known that I, JOHN TEEL, of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kentand State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin lVardrobe Folding Beds; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form part of this specification, in which- Figurelis a perspective View, partlybroken, of my improved wardrobe foldingbed. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, partlybroken away, showingthe arrangement of springs. Fig. 3 is a detail of a catch. Fig. e is adetail perspective view of a portion of the adjustable track. Fig. 5 isa central vertical section,partly broken, of the bed as lowered and ofthe folding track by the aid of dotted lines. Figs. G and 7 are details.

This invention is an improvement in folding or wardrobe beds g and myobjects are to enable the bed to be effectually concealed by a movablecabinet or case, which shall stand in front of the bed when it is raisedor closed and which can be slid to one side when it is desired toopen'the bed, and to provide an improved extensible and folding trackfor supporting said cabinet, so that there shall be no dragging orrolling of parts upon the floor or carpets in shifting the cabinet;also, I increase the durability of the bed, render it more compact, andmore easily operated.

To these ends the invention consists in the novel construction andoperation of the extensible track, the novel arrangement of springs forraising or folding the bed, and in combination therewith of othernoveland useful parts, as will he hereinafter clearly described, andsummarized in the claims.

Referring to the drawings by letters and figures, A designates a casing,which is preferably closed at top, bottom, back, and sides,

but open in front. The bottom side rails a of this case project in frontthereof and support the extensible track, hereinafter described, and thecase is preferably mounted on rollers, as shown, like an ordinarywardrobe.

B designates a bed-frame having side rails l) h, connected by head andfoot boards h b2, as usual. To the exterior faces of rails h,

near the head-board, are secured wood or nietallic plates C C, whichhave rounded bearing-faces c on their lower edges, terminating insemicircular recesses c' c. These plates rest upon plates D,attached tothe inner face of the sides of casing A near the bottom thereof andhaving a bearing-face (Z for contact with faces c of plates C, and ateach end thereof a rounded lug or projection d d', adapted to engagewith the recesses c of plates C when the bed is raised or lowered. Theplates C, bearing upon plates D, support the head of the bed-frame uponeasing A, and a recess c will engage a lug CZ when the bedframe is beingor is raised or lowered and prevent the head end of the bed-frameswinging out of the casing or off plate C. The object in making recessesc and lugs d round, as shown, is to prevent binding of the parts and toinsure smooth working thereof. The lug d prevents the bearing-face cslipping oit` plate D as the bed is swung upward. Then the bed iscompletely closed or lowered, the entire weight is transferred to lug (lor CZ', and, owing to its cylindrical form, it constitutes a kind ofaxial pivot,which facilitates the swinging up or down of the bed.

E is a vertically-movable supplemental head-board hinged at its loweredge to the top of board b and adapted to slide up and down betweenguides e, attached to the sides of casing A as the bed-frame is loweredor raised. The side rails h of the bed-frame project slightlybeyond theboard h and are pivotally connected to the lower ends of links F F,which are pivotally connected by their upper ends to a horizontalvertically-movable bar f, moving between gnidesf on the sides of thecasing, near the back thereof.

G is a bar fixed in the casing above bar f, and g g are flat or leafsprings attached to the ends and lower side of bar G and depending inopposite directions, intersecting each other about center and impingingagainst and bea-ring freely upon the top of barj", so that as said bar frises the springs are tensioned and as the bar lowers they are relaxed.g g are shorter leaf -springs attached to the lower side of bar G anddepending therefrom, and ff are similar springs attached to the top lofbar f and rising therefrom and lying opposite springs g', so that whenbar f is raised IOO fully springs g and f contact and reinforce springsg and exert a greater downward pressure on bar f. The Object of thesprings is to cause a downward pressure on bar vf at all times, whichpressure will, however, increase as the bar rises and decrease as itlowers. By reason of links F when the bed-frame is raised bar -f islowered. Consequently the force of the springs is utilized to assist inraising or closing the bed-frame, and this force is most powerful whenthe bed-frame is nearest to a horizontal position, and as it reaches avertical position the spring force weakens. As the bed is lowered thebarf rises, and the resistance of the springs is augmented as the bedcomes nearer a horizontal position, so that by careful adjustment thebed can be made to close 0r open without shock and with very littlemanual labor. Of course the number of springs may be varied. Thesprings, it will be observed, are some of them wholly relaxed and otherspartially relaxed when the bed is closed,thus increasing the workinglife of the springs. In order to enable the pressure of the springs tobe varied or regulated, wedge-blocks Gr2 may be slipped between the endof springs and the bar, as indicated in detail figure, and by shiftingthis block in or out the inclination of the springs is increased ordiminished, and consequently their Working power regulated. The springsare protected by a top plate a above bar G and a front panel E2, thelower edge. of which depends below and in front of the top of board E,so that when the bed is lowered the springs and bars are entirelyconcealed. The weight of the head-board and board E are of assistance inequipoising the bed-frame.

H designates feet attached to the foot ends of the side rails b by meansof headed pins h, playing through slots h in the feet. The feet have arecessed shoulder H in their outer edges, and as the bed lowers the feetswing outward to maintain a Vertical position until the shoulder Hunderlies the beveled lower edge of foot-board b2, and when the frame islowered completely the foot-board, resting on shoulders H', effectuallylocks the feet in position, so that they cannot be casually knocked outof position, the slots h allowing the legs sufcient vertical play onpins h to permit this. As the bed-frame rises the legs drop downsufficiently to disengage the edge ofthe foot-board and swingin parallelwith the side rails, so that the entire bed is within casing A whenclosed, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The extensible ways I are formed of a series of telescoping tongues andgrooved bars, as indicated in Figs. l, 4, and 5. l have shown acombination of nine bars, tive being movable and four stationary. Thebars all lie parallel vand set edgewise side to side. The

two outer bars l and 9 and two bars 4 and 6, on each side of the centralbar 5'are stationary and are lxedly mounted on the eX- tended side barsa a of casing A, and are connected at one end by a transverselinishing-piece 1I. Bars 2 and 8, lying next the outer bars, and thecentral bar 5 are connected at their outer ends to a transversenishing-piece Q1 and 4move together, being supported, respectively, bylongitudinal tongues engaging longitudinal grooves in the bars l, 4, 6,and 9, as shown. Bars 3 and 7 are longitudinally movable, but are notdirectly connected. They lie between bars 2 and 4 and 6 and 8,respectively, and are'supported by longitudinal grooves and tongues, asshown.

J' designates the cabinet, which is about equal in width and height tocasing A, and Vmay be a wardrobe, book-case, or other desirable articleof furniture, and is mounted on ways I, and has properfinishing-pieceson its sides and front, which will depend over or iit closely` to theouter bar and finishingpieces of the ways, as indicated in the drawings.This cabinet is supported on rollers j j', the former being attached tothe end of the cabinet'adjoining piecez' of the ways, and. the latterare located slightly beyond the center of the cabinet, but not at theend thereof, and are long or wide rollers, so that they Overlie andwould rest upon the top edge of either or all of bars 1 y2 3 4 or 6 7 89, as indicated in Fig. 5. The central barv 5 has a longitudinal bead Kon its upper surface, which underlies the cabinet, and the latter has agrooved block k attached to its bottom and litting loosely over bead K,'so that lateral tilting of lthe cabinet will be prevented by the blockand bead. To the inner end of block lo are pivoted opposite catches L L,(see Fig. 3,) which are controlled by springs L L and which are adaptedto catch a pin M, fixed to the end of bar 5 when the cabinetis closed,and to the underside ot bar 5 is attached a spring-plate N, whichprojects beneath bars 3 and 7, and is adapted to contact with studs n n,depending therefrom.

N N are cam-blocks attached to the lower edges of bars 4 and -6 in thepath of plate N.

WVhen the partsare folded, the bed is closed and the ways are folded,and cabinet .l stands in front of the casing, with catches L engagingpin M.

When it is desired to open the bed, the cabinet must be moved to oneside. Y This is effected simply by pushing it in the desired direction,the ways automatically extending themselves as follows: Catches L,'engaging pin M, drag bar 5 outward and with it barst and 8, which areconnected therewith by,

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'n n and forces bars 3 and 7 to move outward also until the platestrikes cams N, which throws its ends out of engagement with the pinsand leaves bars 3 and 7 projected about one-third of their length. Thecatches L continue to force bars 2, 5, and 8 out until the catchesstrike pins m m, iiXed to the upper surface of bars 4 and 6 aboutcentrally there-V of, so that the bars 2, 5, and 8 are projected abouthalf or more of their length before they are stopped. Thus the bars 3 7extend about a third of their length beyond the stationary bars l., 4,G, and 9, and bars 2, 5, and 8 are projected about a third of theirlength beyond bars 3 7. Now as the rollers are set near the center ofthe cabinet instead of at its end, when the bars have been extended, asdescribed, the cabinet still can be pushed farther outward until itsside projects beyond the end of bars 2, 5, and 8, and 'thus leaves theentire front of casing A unclosed, so that the bed-frame can be loweredat once. The top edges of bars 3 and 7 are cut away slightly for abouttwo-thirds of their leifgth, as indicated in Fig. l, so that therollersj will notI touch or ride on said bars until they have beenextended. Bars 2, 5, and 8 are similarly cut away for about two-thirdsof their length for a similar purpose. By this arrangement the bars 2,3, 5, 7, and S do not have any weight to bear until they are shiftedproperly. In other words, the rollers j run iirst only on bars l and 9or 4 and 6, and then in passing off said bars they run onto and bearonly upon bars 3 and 7, and then in passing from said bars run onto bars2 and 8. Then the cabinet is moved inward, rollers j run onto bars 3 and7 before bars 2, 5, and S are moved inward, and then onto bars l and 9or 4 and G before bars 3 and 7 are moved inward, so that at no time musttherollers bear on a moving bar or bars. It will be observed that theways are selfsupporting, and in extending the ways or shitting thecabinet thereon there is nothing in contact with or dragged over thefloor, which. is a very desirable feature, for where rollers are usedbeary ing direct on the ioor or carpet a niark is made thereby, which,especially on carpets, soon becomes ineradicable, and thus suggests theconcealed bed, where otherwise it might qremain unsuspected. Bothbed-casing and cabinet are, it will be observed, mounted on the samebase and can be moved together as one article of furniture, while thecabinet may be shifted laterally on the extended wa ys out of the way ofthe bed and be readily accessible also.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent thereon, is-

1. The combination of the casing, the bedframe pivotally supported nearits head on the sides of the casing and having its side rails extendedbeyond its head-board, the hori- Zonta] vertically-movable bar lyingabove the head end of bed, the guides for said bar xed to the sides ot'casing, the intersecting leafsprings g, g, and f interposed between saidmovable bar and a bariixed above the latter, and a pair of links eachpivotally connected to the projecting end of bed-rail and to the movablebar, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the casing, the bedframe pivot-ally supported nearits head on the sides of the casing and having its side rails extendedbeyond its head-board, the horizontal vertically-movable bar lying abovethe head end of bed, the guides for said bar fixed to the sides ofcasing, the intersecting leafsprings respectively connected to andinterposed between said movable bar and a bar fixed above the latter,and a pair of links each pivotally connected to the projecting end ofbed-rail and to the movable bar, the fixed panel in front of said barsand springs, and the supplemental head-board hinged at its lower end tothe bed-frame and moving between guides on the casing and below saidpanel, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the opposite iixed and movable upper and lowerbars, the leatsprings attached to the lower side and near the ends otthe upper bar, inclining downwardly and inwardly toward each other, theleaf-springs attached to the upper side and near the ends ot the lowerbar, inclining upwardly and inwardly toward each other, and the pair ofleaf-springs attached to and near the ends of one bar intersecting eachother and bearing continually on the opposite bar, substantially asspecified.

4. The combination of the casing, the bedframe pivotally mounted andfoldable therein, the vertically-movable and fixed upper and lower barsin said casing above the bearings of the bed-frame, the downwardly andinwardly inclined leaf-springs attached to and near the ends of theupper bar, and the upwardly and inwardly inclined leaf-springs attachedto vand near the ends of the lower bar, the pair of leaf-springsattached to and near the ends of one bar, intersecting each other andbearing continually against the other bar, and the links connecting thelower bar with the ends of the bed-trame, substantially as de scribed.

5. The combination of stationary bars and movable bars telescopingtherebetween, the outer movable bars being supported by the stationarybars and the inner movable bars being supported by adjacent movablebars, said bars forming ways for sustaining a movable cabinet, and meansfor automatically engaging and extending or closing said ways when thecabinet is moved thereon, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

G. The combination ot an extensible way or track formed of stationarybars and longitudinally-movable bars telescoping therewith with acabinet supported on said ways and having a catch on its bottom adaptedto engage and move outward the sliding ways, and means for disengagingsaid catch at the proper moment, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the stationary bars and an intermediateindependent movable bar having a pin on its upper surface telescopingbetween and supported by said stationary bars with a cabinet mounted onsaid bars and having a catch on its bottom adapted to engage said pinand move the central bar outward, substantially as set forth.

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S. The combination of the Ways formed of a series ot' telescopingstationary and movable bars, the central bar having an upstanding beadon its upper surface with a cabinet sup ported on said Ways by rollersor casters and having a grooved block on its bottom overlying said bead,substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. The combination of the stationary bars l, 4, G, and 9 and the movablebars 2, 5, and 8, telescoping therebetween, with the cabinet mountedthereon by rollers and adapted to force the movable bars outward orinward as it is moved, substantially'as and for the purpose specified.

10. The combination of the stationary bars, the movable barstelescoping` therewith, and the bead on one movable bar with the cabinetsupported thereon by rollers, and the catch on the bottom of the cabinetfor engaging and forcing outward the movable bar with the cabinet, andthe block on the bottom of the cabinet overlying the bead, substantiallyas described.

1l. The herein-described ways for the purpose specified, consisting ofthe stationary bars l, 4, 6, and 9 and the intermediate tele* scopingmovable bars 2, 3, 5, '7, and 8, constructed and arranged to operatesubstantially as set forth, in combination with a cabinet lnounted onthe Ways and movable thereon and having a catch device engaging thecentral bar when the cabinet is shifted. as and for the purposedescribed. Y

12. The combination of the stationary bars 1, 4, 6, and 9, the bars 2 5S, telescoping therebetween and connected at one end, and the barsS 7,telescoping between bars 2 4 and 6 S, respectively, with the cabinetmounted on said bars, its rollers, and the catch devices for shiftingsaid bars, substantially as described.

13. The combination, in a telescoping Way, of fixed andmovable bars, themovable bars having their tops recessed or lowered for a portion oftheir length, so that they shall only serve as tracks when extended,substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

JOHN TEEL. Witnesses:

J. R. MANSFIELD, W. Il. BARNES.

